Latest numbers from the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) revealed that B.C.’s southwestern region has experienced significant home price growth in February, indicating a possible companion to the red-hot Vancouver market in the near future. Last week, the Board revealed that the benchmark price for a single-family property in the Valley increased by 20.4 per cent year-over-year and 0.4 per cent compared to January, hitting $859,300.

“This is the kind of February we like to see. Last year at this time, the incredible demand created a market that was difficult for consumers,”

according to FVREB president Gopal Sahota, as quoted by CBC News.

“Now, we have sales moving upward from the winter months at a typical, healthy pace and a growing inventory to support it,” Sahota stated, adding that the numbers are so far showing a “return to normal historical sales numbers.” Apartment prices also rose sharply by 26 per cent compared to February 2016 and 1.8 per cent month-over-month, up to $267,000. Meanwhile, average townhome costs grew by 25 per cent year-over-year and 0.5 per cent since January, reaching $422,400. Recently, Finance Minister Bill Morneau assured that the federal government is still closely monitoring the Canadian housing market, amid seemingly inexorable price growth in Vancouver and Toronto.

“We continue to be very focused on thinking about how we can manage what is peoples’ most significant investment. And we do watch the level of indebtedness, in particular around housing,” Morneau stated, adding that “strong underlying markets” continue to drive the two cities’ outsized performance. “So in Toronto and Vancouver, unemployment is lower in those two places than it is in some other places. Incomes are higher. The economy is doing better. So there are underlying reasons for the housing markets to do better and we’ll continue to monitor, to work with provinces and municipalities who have an important role to play here to manage what we see [as] a challenge, but not one that isn’t manageable.”

In all the excitement and packing, buying & selling, many people forget to take care of some essential items before they move. Don’t look past these 5 things you need to take care of, or it could cost you $$$.

1. Take care of all subscriptions: Magazines, memberships, recurring orders, gym memberships. Get a head start on updating your address or cancelling memberships before charges mount on your credit card. We suggest you take care of this at least 30 days prior to your move, as many gyms, clubs, and mail subscriptions require this much time for cancellation or updates.

2. Change your address at the post office: For a small fee Canada Post will allow you to register your new address to ensure all your mail finds its way to your new home. Leaving bills or an outstanding balance behind, may impact your credit score, as well as lead to accumulated interest charges -–neither of which you are likely o want.

3. Call utility providers: Cable, internet, electricity, gas, etc…These are all services that you should be making contact BEFORE you move. Many of these services can pivot on a dime so not much notice is required, but we do recommend making contact at least 1 week prior to your move date. Make a list of required utility providers & check it twice! Or, you could wind up paying for someone else’s electric bill!

4. Manage your motor vehicle insurance: If you are new to British Columbia here is what you need to know; ICBC allows up to 90 days to switch over your license, and 30 days to register, license and insure your vehicle.

If you are moving within the Province, you must update your address within 30 days of moving. Your auto-insurance policy must always show your current home address and vehicle use, so do not forget to update this information!

5. Get a ‘To-Go’ box ready: Whether you are moving across the country, province, or just down the street, make sure that you have a go-to box ready. This should contain items you will need as soon as you get to your new home; cleaning products, toilet paper, garbage bags, paper towels, clean sheets, fresh towels, paper plates and eating utensils and maybe even a bottle of bubbly to celebrate.

WOW! This has go to be one of the busiest weekends in a long long time!

Not only our own coordinated event in the South Meridian neighbourhood, but one in Summerfield as well, the annual Hall’s Prairie Country Fair (which includes a garage sale) a “Kids’ stuff” swap meet and numerous other events going on!

Watch for a schwack (not a real word) of Neighbourhood Garage Sales coming up over the next coupe of months. So far we have confirmed South Meridian, Bayridge and Rosemary Heights school catchments for Spring.

Look for our new logo’s signs in coming weeks as well!

Click below, on our (complimentary for your use) directional sign to go to this weekend’s map.

Click our new logo below to take you to the latest Open Houses and listings in South Surrey & White Rock.

It’s probably not a coincidence that spring is a popular time to deep clean your house and also a great time to list it for sale. Any good agent will tell you that cleaner houses always sell faster and for higher prices, so taking some time to really make your home sparkle is almost always worth the extra effort.

Of course, clean is also a very relative term. What some people see as clean, others just won’t be satisfied with. And when you are expecting to welcome a steady stream of potential buyers into your home, you definitely want to make sure that you have all of your bases covered.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at six areas that sellers often overlook when spring cleaning their homes with the intention of listing them for sale.

The Windows: Both Inside and Outside

One of the most important things that you can do to really help your home shine is clean the windows.

And it’s not enough to simply wipe them off from the inside. Getting the outsides clean too will more than double the positive impact this job will have on the way your home looks.

Having crystal clear windows has two specific benefits. First, clean windows will let in more natural light, brightening your entire home. As if that wasn’t enough, clean windows will also invite perspective buyers to appreciate whatever views you might have.

Inside the Kitchen Cabinets

Everyone who plans on listing their home knows that they need to clean the kitchen countertops and scrub the floors. But not everyone realizes that home buyers will want to see what the insides of your kitchen cabinets look like.

Would looking inside your cabinets cast your home in a positive light? What about that junk drawer in the kitchen?

Drapes & Light Fixtures

Another commonly overlooked area that could probably use some cleaning is your drapes and light fixtures. Dusting them off is a good place to start, but why stop there?

Take those light fixtures down and wash them out, and when was the last time that you actually washed the drapes? You’ll be shocked at the difference clean light fixtures and freshly washed drapes will make in the way your home presents itself.

The Office Area

You know that one spot where all the bills tend to pile up while you are putting off sitting down to pay them? That’s another place that lots of sellers forget to take care of during their spring cleaning.

In addition to being neat and tidy, your home office area needs to look functional. Make sure that anyone who walks through your home will be able to see themselves working productively there.

The Overstuffed Linen Closet

The linen closet upstairs (the one that has never really been big enough) is another place that can really turn off potential buyers. In order to make it look more roomy, take as much of your stuff out of it as possible and put it in storage until your home sells!

You should also make sure that everything in the bathroom medicine cabinet is neat and tidy.

Don’t Forget the Outside

While most spring cleaning efforts are focused on the inside of the house, you definitely don’t want to overlook the outside of your home.

Make sure that there isn’t anything in the yard that doesn’t belong there, and spruce up any landscaping that looks like it might detract from a potential buyers first impression.

While you’re at it, you might also want to get out the ladder and give those gutters some attention.

One of the best practices to make sure that your spring cleaning efforts are successful is to simply start over every time you think that you are finished. There is literally no end to the amount of cleaning you can do, and every single bit of that effort will help to sell your house faster for a higher price.

Want some insider advice on updating and upgrading your home? Real Simple asked readers what they wish they had known before—or would have done differently with—their renos.

By Betsy Goldberg

Photo by Robert George Young/Getty Images

“I would have made sure there was more insulation in the wall where the bathroom butts up against a bedroom. My daughter is awakened by every sound in the bathroom. We should have put the closet where her bed is now.” —Ali Dubin

“I would have stuck to my original plan for a stainless steel sink instead of doing a black stone composite sink. Softened water leaves a haze on it, and the sink chips.” —Jennifer Mason Theroux

“Have a guaranteed end date in the contract with your contractor, with a fee for any day that goes over. Mine went months over while the contractor worked on jobs for other people.” —L.S.

“Set aside extra money for unforeseen expenses like rotted wood, consults with a plumber, and the replacement of exterior fixtures. It isn’t realistic to think that everything will work out exactly the way it’s supposed to.” —M.P.N.“I would have put in more electrical outlets on our kitchen island.” —Jennifer Lijertwood

“Don’t underestimate how much construction dust will permeate the rest of your living spaces through the air and ducts. Remove valuable objects from the walls or displays so you’re not having to micro-clean, and seal off any closets that contain clothes, linens, and food.” —Deborah Fairchild“Make sure you have all the materials before starting. Some of our items took months to come in after ordering, which held up the work. Four months is a long time to be without a kitchen!” —Victoria Wagner“When we redid our kitchen, I wish we had included ‘eating out’ in the budget!”—Maria C. Kuntz